Around March/April timeframe my company is likely to make the purchase of a new bike available under the cycle to work scheme. It's only open for one month and will more than likeley be restricted to bikes purchased from Evans.
I'm starting to think through options. While I really like my current Brompton set up, I'm finding that the Brompton struggles with some of the rough winter conditions. Some of the roads can get muddy and/or flooded and I'm spending quite a bit of time cleaning it to keep it running smoothly. I'd also like the option of winter tyres to keep me going in snowy conditions.
My main motivation for getting the Brompton was that it doesn't take too much space in the house. We would like to move soon though so this restriction may be lifted however we do, a reasonably lightweight bike would be good as I'm likely to need to lug it from hallway to basement at times.
Having done a DIY electric job on the Brompton I'd be reasonably confident I could do it on any bike - and due to the limited range of ebikes at Evans will likely be my only option. I haven't decided on a motor yet. I thought I'd focus on the bike first and then look at the possibilities w.r.t the motor.
So - what should I chose for my donor bike. Our scheme will in theory allow us to purchase a bike up to £2000 - though I wouldn't really want to spend more than about £1000 on the bike. It would be a hybrid (or possibly MTB).
I would definitely need to be able to fit good mudguards and a rack.
I haven't yet decided on the type of brakes or gears, though I'm quite attracted by the idea of disk brakes and hub gears for relatively low maintenance - provided the weight is reasonably low.
So what do you suggest? It's probably not worth looking at the 2010 model bikes in the sale as these are unlikely to be available when the scheme opens.
I'm starting to think through options. While I really like my current Brompton set up, I'm finding that the Brompton struggles with some of the rough winter conditions. Some of the roads can get muddy and/or flooded and I'm spending quite a bit of time cleaning it to keep it running smoothly. I'd also like the option of winter tyres to keep me going in snowy conditions.
My main motivation for getting the Brompton was that it doesn't take too much space in the house. We would like to move soon though so this restriction may be lifted however we do, a reasonably lightweight bike would be good as I'm likely to need to lug it from hallway to basement at times.
Having done a DIY electric job on the Brompton I'd be reasonably confident I could do it on any bike - and due to the limited range of ebikes at Evans will likely be my only option. I haven't decided on a motor yet. I thought I'd focus on the bike first and then look at the possibilities w.r.t the motor.
So - what should I chose for my donor bike. Our scheme will in theory allow us to purchase a bike up to £2000 - though I wouldn't really want to spend more than about £1000 on the bike. It would be a hybrid (or possibly MTB).
I would definitely need to be able to fit good mudguards and a rack.
I haven't yet decided on the type of brakes or gears, though I'm quite attracted by the idea of disk brakes and hub gears for relatively low maintenance - provided the weight is reasonably low.
So what do you suggest? It's probably not worth looking at the 2010 model bikes in the sale as these are unlikely to be available when the scheme opens.
